David Daniels, founder of ESC, and Mike Thul, founder of Thul Electronics, announced that they have joined forces to form a new company called Xssentials.
 
The operations of ESC in Aspen, Thul Electronics in Vail, and joint venture ESC THUL in Denver have all been merged into Xssentials. All three locations will continue to operate as before, with the same staff. Corporate headquarters will be at The Xssentials Xperience Center in Denver.
 
Daniels and Thul will be co-CEO’s of the new venture, joined on the senior management team by chief operating officer John Carlen and chief financial officer David Stys. 
 
According to ESC founder David Daniels, “For years, Mike and I have worked together on industry issues and we have always discussed ways to better serve our clients. It just made sense to combine our buying power and our brain power to offer clients better value, better service, and greater depth in expertise and experience.” 

“Our success with our joint venture, ESC THUL in Denver, proved how well our companies work together," said Mike Thul. "We have already seen benefits in new and improved design details and more efficient use of our personnel.” 
 
In 1988 Daniels started ESC in Aspen, with a goal of providing top-quality home technology, systems integration, entertainment products, installation, and an unprecedented level of service. Also in 1988, Mike and Chris Thul founded Thul Electronics in nearby Vail, with an identical commitment to quality and service. In 2011, Daniels and Thul expanded into the Denver market with a joint venture called ESC THUL, which was headed by John Carlen. Discussion soon began about combining the three companies.  On January 1, 2013 ESC, Thul Electronics, and ESC THUL merged to form Xssentials.